PENGKALAN HULU: The Home Ministry will assess fuel sales volumes at petrol stations near the country’s borders as part of enforcement efforts to curb fuel smuggling.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the ministry would obtain sales data from the Finance Ministry and the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry to identify border area petrol stations recording unusually high sales figures.
“Once these sales records are shared with us, we will deploy police teams to zoom in directly on such petrol stations. It will facilitate our operations.
“If the sales volumes show extraordinarily high figures, then that will be our main target,” he said after a working visit and inspection of Malaysia–Thailand border control operations at the Bukit Berapit Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security Complex here yesterday.
Also present was Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency director-general Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain, Bernama reported.
On Saturday, Saifuddin Nasution said the ministry would deploy police personnel to petrol stations near the country’s borders to monitor and curb fuel smuggling activities, following the Cabinet’s latest directive last week amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which could affect the country’s supply chain and prices of goods.
Meanwhile, he said the ministry would review all relevant laws to prosecute those involved in fuel smuggling and leakage.
“We will see. If it involves controlled goods, then the agency responsible for enforcing the Control of Supplies Act is the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry.
“But if it involves smuggling or is considered theft, then it falls under the Home Ministry. We will, of course, apply the relevant laws,” he said.
He added that cooperation among enforcement agencies would continue to be strengthened to ensure efforts to curb subsidy leakages are implemented effectively.
